1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a multi-part surgical staple assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a multi-part surgical staple assembly having augmented compression areas to provide uniform compression across a staple line in tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
During surgical procedures involving operations on tubular tissue sections it is often necessary to cut or segment the tubular tissue sections and staple them closed. One instance of this type surgery involves cutting out a diseased section of a tubular tissue section such as, for example, a section of a colon and temporarily staple of the healthy, free ends of the tubular tissue section closed prior to reattaching them together. A line or row of staples is typically placed across the tubular tissue section. In some instances, fluid pressure remains within the tubular tissue sections and exerts stresses or forces on the staple lines placed across the tubular tissue sections.
Failure at the tissue line may occur resulting in the luminal contents leaking into the abdominal cavity potentially causing morbidity or mortality. Failures such as these have been attributed to the staple interaction with the underlying tissue. Leaks may form either through the staple penetration holes through the tissue or between the compressed layers of tissue themselves.
In addition, during the wound healing processes of the stapled tissues, the mechanical strength of the tissues may decrease over time. The decrease in mechanical strength corresponds to a decrease in compressive properties within the tissues resulting in the possibility of leakage. Further, there exists the relationship between the leak pressure of an anastomosis or staple line junction and the amount of clamping pressure applied by the staples. If the pressure within the lumen exceeds the compressive stresses, then a leak will form. This can be represented by the formula P>σt/r where P is the pressure within the lumen, σ is the compressive stress, t is the thickness of the tissue and r is the radius of the tubular tissue section.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of reducing leakage through tissue about staple legs of the staple assembly. It would further be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of applying uniform compression across the areas of tissue secured by a staple of the staple assembly. It would still further be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of compensating for losses in mechanical strength of the underlying tissue by maintaining constant compression levels on the stapled tissue.